It was my honor on Saturday, the 23rd, to be a part of the Retirement Home’s 100th Anniversary Celebration. What a glorious day it was. The weather was perfect. The food was good. And the fellowship was amazing.
During the program, I gave a short history of the Retirement Home for those gathered on the front lawn. I have really enjoyed researching the history of the Home in preparation for this event. It is such a special place and has such an interesting history.
Please allow me to share with you what I shared on Saturday.
It should not come as a surprise that Hermann Sons Life would build such a place as the Retirement Home. After all, Hermann Sons Life was founded by a group of men who shared a common bond, a group of men who were prepared to look after one another in good times and in bad.
The story actually begins in 1913. The Grand Lodge Convention was held in Austin that April. It was at that time that Grand Secretary John Windlinger proposed that Hermann Sons Life build a retirement home to provide security and community for its elderly members. It is believed that this was the first time that any fraternal group had proposed such a project. It would be called the Alten und Waisenheim (elder and orphan home).
The delegates ratified his proposal and a committee was formed to find a location. After looking at places in La Grange, San Marcos, San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Austin and Boerne, the committee chose 202 acres on a hilltop near Comfort overlooking the Guadalupe River.
Comfort and its citizens campaigned hard to have the Home built here. The Hermann Sons Life lodges and the citizens of Comfort even pledged $7,000 of the $9,000 purchase price.
Arthur J. Herman was chosen as the architect who would design the building. H.R. Jones Construction Co. was chosen to build the structure at a price of $54,675.
Construction took about a year and was completed in late 1915. It must have been hard working without the benefit of the machinery that we have today. Instead of semi-trucks, the rock was moved with a team of horses and a wagon. Instead of stone cutting power tools, the men used axes like the one that now hangs inside the Home.
With construction complete, it was time to dedicate the building. And so the local citizens and Hermann Sons Life members came together to plan a grand celebration. An estimated 6,500 people – Hermann Sons Life members and residents of the Comfort area – gathered on the afternoon of Thursday, May 11, 1916. Trains were used to bring people from all points of Texas to San Antonio and then on to Comfort.
Guests were transported by service cars and local citizens to a grove down by the river. A 100-foot trench had been dug the day before and 30 head of cattle were roasted for the feast that would include potato salad, pickles and bread. And, of course, there was lots of beer.
Bands played at the river grove until 1:30 p.m. when everyone walked up the hill to the Home for the official dedication. The ceremony was marked with speeches in English and German. Grand President August Haxthausen delivered an official address as did the Governor of Texas, James E. Ferguson. Guests took tours of the Home before returning to Comfort for a night of grand balls and open-air concerts.
The Alten und Waisenheim would only be offered to orphans for a few years and then would simply be known as the Altenheim. When the English language became more widely used it was referred to as the Home for the Aged. Today it is called the Retirement Home.
As I was doing the research, I came across an article that was published in the Hermann Sons News in 1946. In the article, the manager, Mr. Louwein, talks about how self-sufficient the staff and residents were. They plowed the nearby fields and raised crops. They raised cattle, pigs and chickens so they would have meat, milk and eggs. They even made their own cheese and ice cream. They had a garden where they raised their own vegetables.
It seems Christmas has always been a special time at the Home. Accounts of Christmas parties indicate that there was always a Christmas tree, lots of singing and, of course, gifts made possible by donations from local lodges.
Ottmar Vogel, a member of the Home for the Aged Committee for many years and later a Grand Trustee, played Santa Claus for the residents for 31 years. Beginning in 1990, his son, Lee Vogel, played that role for more than 20 years.
And the Home has always been a popular destination for groups of Hermann Sons Life members from San Antonio and the surrounding area. In the early years it was not usual for 75 to 100 people to drive up from San Antonio to host a picnic on the grounds for themselves and the residents. There were band concerts and singing groups would often perform.
Managers for most of the first 30 years were Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Louwein. They would serve from the mid 1920s until August of 1946. They would be followed by Kermin Prince and Paula Allerkamp. Grace Strackbein became the manager in 1976. Edward Albrecht took over in 1990. Brenda Gunnink is the current manager.
Improvements – big and small - have been made all through the years.
The installation of the elevator was completed in 1950. The two-story annex was added in 1964 for married couples. In 1986 a new water tower was built. The first carport was built in 1989.
Many of the items that were needed at the Home were paid for with donations from local lodges and individuals.
The Home was honored in 1979 when the Texas Historical Commission dedicated a plaque.